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(Nigeria) The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, said on Wednesday that the Federal Government had disbursed N294.51 billion to disengaged Power Holding Company of Nigeria. PHCN workers. Igali made the disclosure to State House correspondents after a special preparatory meeting to strategise on the Nov. 1 physical handover of PHCN successor companies to private investors. The meeting was chaired by Vice-President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa. Specifically, Igali said that N214.22 billion was paid as severance directly to the beneficiaries’ personal accounts, while N80.29 billion was paid as gratuity to beneficiaries’ pension fund administrators. He said that out of the 47,913 PHCN members of staff who  went through the severance process, 40.093 had been fully paid, leaving out 7,820. From the 7,820 staff, Igali said that 605 were validated on Tuesday and would be paid before the end of the week. Igali said that the remaining beneficiaries

(Nigeria) The Enugu State Police Command has arrested one Emmanuel Chukwu from Obeagu Amuri in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state for allegedly being in possession of a human skull. A statement from the police spokesperson, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, in Enugu on Wednesday said the suspect was arrested on October 20 following a tip off. Amaraizu said the human skull was discovered as the suspect was digging the spot where it was buried in his building site. The statement said the suspect was helping the police in its investigation. 

(Nigeria) The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, on Wednesday appealed to commercial banks handling police salaries not to delay the payment. This information is contained in a statement issued by Mr Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer in Abuja. The statement said Abubakar made the appeal at a meeting with representatives of First Bank, Skye Bank, UBA and Zenith Bank. Abubakar described as unacceptable, a situation where government released money meant for police salary as early as middle of the month, only for the banks to “deliberately” delay payment to the following month. He said that the delay exposed ``the officers and men of the force to undue pressures and extreme difficulties’’, saying that it was ``worst conspiracy against the force’’. The inspector-general informed the banks of the ``dire consequences; including but not limited to a reconsideration of the existing relationship between the police and the banks, if the trend is not corre

(Nigeria) The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation on Wednesday re-issued its summon on the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah to appear at its investigative hearing on October 31. Oduah is expected to clarify issues relating to the controversial purchase of two BMW bullet proof cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. The committee also stressed that failure to honour ``this last invitation’’ would be viewed as deliberate. It added that she would therefore be made to face the consequences of her action according to the provisions of the law. Oduah was to appear before the panel on October 24, but wrote to the committee that she was out of the country for the signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and Israel. 

(Nigeria) The police on Wednesday disrupted a peaceful rally by members of  Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, University of Abuja Chapter, in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory. Dr Clement Chuks, ASUU Chairman, Uniabuja chapter, said the rally was organised to sensitise the public to the level of decay of infrastructure in Nigerian universities. The heavily armed policemen, fired teargas on the demonstrating lecturers, barricaded all entrances leading to the university and prevented other members from joining the rally. One of the lecturers was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital for treatment after he inhaled the teargas. Some of the lecturers carried placards with inscriptions; `` ASUU is fighting for the good future of Nigerian children and the nation,’’ ``Support ASUU to save university education in Nigeria’’. ``Implement 2009 agreement, we do not want to teach under trees again,’’ ``2009 agreement is the key for producing quality graduates’’ among o

Sixty per cent of Americans favour capital punishment for convicted murderers, the lowest percentage since 1972, according to a Gallup poll released on Tuesday. At its peak in the mid-1990s, capital punishment support was at 80 per cent, the polling group said. ``The current era of lower support may be tied to death penalty moratoriums in several states beginning around 2000 after several death-row inmates were later proven innocent of the crimes of which they were convicted,’’ Gallup said. Since 2006, six states have repealed death penalty laws outright, including Maryland this year, Gallup said. Eighty-one per cent of Republicans, 47 per cent of Democrats and 60 per cent of independents support the death penalty, according to the poll. The largest decrease was found among Democrats, 75 per cent of whom supported the death penalty in 1994. Gallup has been measuring Americans' attitudes about capital punishment since 1936. Fifty-seven per cent were in favour of the d

(Nigeria) The All Progressives Congress, APC, will welcome into its fold  the seven governors who are having problem with their party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, if they decide to join the party. The Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known on Wednesday during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, in Abuja. “They are welcome if that is their final decision. The development will strengthen our party towards 2015 election,” he said. Mohammed affirmed the readiness of the party to effect a positive change in democratic system to uplift the country. According to him, APC is built on the principles of democracy and popular participation. The national publicity secretary maintained that the party would begin the registration of its members nationwide in November. Mohammed told NAN that the party was intensifying efforts through robust logistics to ensure successful membership registration. He added that the nationwide membership